


Dan Howell Hated The Holidays

by LauraLittlemiss



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Character Development, Divorce, F/M, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, M/M, Phan - Freeform, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-16 01:17:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9267317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LauraLittlemiss/pseuds/LauraLittlemiss
Summary: Dan Howell is a divorce lawyer. Phil Lester needs to divorce.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on my tumblr (www.phanwritings.tumblr.com) and I am very slowly transferring my fics over to ao3. also, something went wrong with the coding on this fic and i can't fix it so it isn't spaced properly. if you would prefer to, you can read it on my tumblr above. the link in the bio leads to all my fics and you can find it pretty easily from there.

The weather was freezing.  
It was just another thing that Dan hated about the season. People were overly joyous about a concept of being jolly, even if everyone was actually depressed and just cramming cookies down their thought to forget their problems. Shops were obsessed with sales and promotions, tacky and annoying songs were overplayed nearly constantly. The most horrendous of sweaters made a appearance out of closets when they should be burned instead. Dan could go on and on about how all the traditions were ridiculous and how nobody actually wants to talk about politics with their family on Christmas Eve, but he felt his opinion was pretty clear. He hates Christmas.  
Ever since he was a kid, he just couldn’t get in the spirit. The last time he could remember feeling properly happy and jolly was when he was 6, unless you count the year he was so drunk he was totally out of it. Dan’s teenage years were a blur of teenage angst and moodiness, something that hasn’t - and probably won’t ever – completely disappear. He was used to this, so was his mom, there really wasn’t really a reason to stop. Dan wasn’t even sure he could if he was forced to. It was his thing, his trademark, to hate the holidays.  
So Dan grumbled along to work, not looking forward to sitting in front of a desk and helping a couple that’s been married for 10 years divorce. Although, he did really feel like that summed up the holidays. But Dan went to work anyways, he had to pay the bills. He stopped in Starbucks before hand, grabbing a warm coffee to make the day slightly more tolerable. He sipped at his drink, making sure to drink it slowly so that he didn’t burn his mouth. The tube was overcrowded this morning, something he always found incredibly annoying. Tourists were everywhere, treating the tube as if it was a tourist attraction in itself. Dan supposed that it was, in its own right.  
He had to keep pushing his scarf off his chin. It was getting too close to his mouth, little pieces of fuzz getting stuck in his mouth. He almost started spitting them before becoming insanely aware that he was in public, not his own house. Quickly glancing down to the ground, hoping that nobody noticed. Finally, he arrived at his stop. He rushed off at the stop, his briefcase hitting his leg repeatedly. He climbed the stairs, emerging in busy London. He walked the two blocks to his office building, nodding at the receptionist. He walked back to the where the elevators are located. He pulled at his scarf to loosen it around his neck, it now hanged in two pieces down his front. He walked into the awaiting elevator with another two men, both colleagues of his. The three men stood awkwardly, all silently agreeing to not talk. When the door opened again, Dan was the first off. He didn’t care if it seemed rude.  
He took notice that the office was decorated with tinsel and fake snowflakes. A few Christmas trees were scattered around the cubicles. Dan sighed, walking over to his small office. He sat at his desk, realizing he still had about 20 minutes before his appointment with his newest couple. He was a divorce lawyer. It was tiring to see so many couples crash and burn after. There was always tears and yelling and fighting over custody. The holidays always increased the stress, both in him and the couple. The holidays always brought divorce, Dan always bought extra tea around the holidays.  
He escaped to the break room, snatching a pastry from the plate that was left out every morning. He munched away, keeping an eye on the clock. He had ten minutes to set up his office for the first appointment with his clients. There tended to be two types of couples. The ones who were getting divorced because they weren’t in love anymore. Those were the easiest to deal with, they tended to be more civil and had a better idea of what they wanted in the divorce. The second type of couple were the ones who were getting divorced because they were fighting too much. They usually were in their late twenties or early thirties and usually had a kid or two, sometimes three. Those were the hardest to see, their problems usually blinded them and caused words to be said that didn’t need to be. But divorce was ugly, that was the truth.  
Dan retreated back to his office, making sure that everything was in place. It was nearly 9, the time of the appointment. Just on time, the receptionist called up to him.  
“Dan, the Lesters are here."  
"Send them up."  
He pulled up their notes on his computer, waiting for the knock on the door. Sure enough, the knock came and he replied with a simple "Come in,” At his words, a young couple walked into his office. The man, who Dan presumed to be Mr. Lester, had glasses and dark black hair that fell past his eyebrows. His skin was a snowy pale and he was tall, probably nearly as tall as Dan. Mrs. Lester was his opposite, dark skin and beautiful freckles dotted across her face with rosy cheeks. Her hair was braided back from her face, and she was short, probably around 5'4. They didn’t seem to be fighting terribly, but first impressions quickly changed.  
“Have a seat,” Dan said, gesturing to the seats in front of him. The couple obliged, each taking a seat and putting their focus back on him once they were seated. “Usually we start out acknowledging why you, the couple, are getting divorced. Then, we take small steps from there to give you the most painless split possible.  
"He’s gay,” said Mrs. Lester. Mr. Lester reddened slightly before commenting. “Yes, that’s why Rose and I decided it was be best to split. Because I’m gay.” Dan chuckled slightly at how awkward it seemed the situation was before remembering he was supposed to be professional. “Of course, makes perfect sense,” Dan said. “I’ve never seen it before, but it’s not terribly uncommon.” He turned back to his computer, typing something into the notes before turning back to them. “Any children?” Both shook their head.  
“Well,” Rose started. “We do have a dog and a cat. We decided that I’ll get the cat and Phil can have the dog. He can have all the house plants.” Dan nodded, writing her claim down.  
“How about where you live?"  
"I’ll be taking that,” Phil said, raising his hand. “Rose said she’ll move out.”  
Dan nodded once more, writing all the information down. “I can probably draw up some documents for you guys over the next few days, it shouldn’t take too terribly long. Just one more thing, do you have a joint back account or separate back accounts?"  
"Separate,” They said in unison.  
“Well, that makes my job fairly easier. I’ll contact you when the legal papers are finished?” Dan asked, standing up. Phil and Rose stood up as well, nodding. Dan held out his hand for a shake, both of them complying and shaking his hand.  
*  
The day was finally over. He had a few more couples come in, all of them worse than the last. He sighed, getting back onto the tube, his briefcase swinging at his side. The tube was a lot less crowded than it was in the morning. The sky was certainly a near pitch black as it was nearly 9. People were going to flock to clubs and bars soon, desperate to have a good time or forget. Dan would be going home to his little apartment, heating up a frozen pizza or maybe making some pasta, and drinking some wine. He would do all this alone. He didn’t have a special person to sing carols with or to cook with.  
He had himself.  
Dan got off the tube and got onto the escalator that would take him to the heart of London. He would shiver in the cold on his walk home, passing by the bright lights set up and the merry groups of people that were shopping and exploring London.  
Dan Howell hated the holidays, it’s true, but maybe he wouldn’t hate them so much if he had someone to share them with.  
*  
The flat was freezing cold in the mornings. Much too cold for Dan’s liking. He slipped his feet into his slippers, hauling himself out of bed. His arms found their way into the sleeves of his robe. He tiredly tied his robe and started walking out of his bedroom. He made it to his kitchen, glancing at the clock display on his microwave. 8:00. Good, he had at least an hour before work and another 11 before the start of his company’s holiday party. He was being forced to attend by his boss, who also happened to be his friend, Louise. As a avid disliker of Christmas, Dan also loathed Christmas parties. He could stand them if they were thrown by friends, but when it was organized by work it became a whole other story. He sighed, grabbing a mug and pouring coffee into it. He decided to set his coffee maker to brew at 7:55, a clever decision on his part; he actually had a reason to get up in the morning.  
Dan retreated back into his room to get ready for work. After thirty minutes, he emerged from his room feeling much more awake than before. He quickly grabbed his briefcase and keys.  
*  
Yes, it was Friday night. No, this was not the way he wanted to spend it. The party was packed and the punch was spiked, making it undrinkable for Dan. The only food available was the shitty type of cookies that grocery stores only made around the holidays. To put it simply, Dan was in one of his “hate everyone and everything” moods – he got into those quite often. That was until he spotted a familiar head of hair.  
Dan quickly zeroed in on the owner of the hair, surprised to see him hair. He looked fairly awkward, standing against the walls of the room, munching on one of the shitty Christmas cookies. Dan figured he might as well go and talk to Phil, seeing as they both were lonely. He tried to walk over in a non-obvious way – he didn’t want to seem too weird. Once Dan finally made his way to around Phil’s area, he tried to figure out how to talk to him. Thankfully, he didn’t need to. Phil’s eyes landed on him and his eyes practically lit up. Dan found Phil moving closer to him, and Dan would be lying if that didn’t make him slightly happier. “Hey,” Phil said, waving his hand in a small wave towards him. “A lady named Louise invited me to the party? I figured I might as well come, didn’t have anything better to do."  
"I’m glad you did,” Dan said honestly.He furrowed his brow. “Where’s Rose?” Normally, couples who were getting divorced didn’t go to events together. The thing with Phil and Rose was that they separating on pretty good terms. Phil’s sexuality simply didn’t allow for him to love Rose the way a husband should love his wife. Still, Dan worried that he might’ve offended Phil. Thankfully, Phil just smiled and explained that she was at a doctor’s appointment.  
“She has been throwing up a lot,” Phil explained. “We think that she might a bad stomach bug. She can never fully recover from regular sicknesses without prescription meds for some reason, so she’s getting that taken care of. Sorry, that might’ve been a bit TMI."  
Dan shook his head, glad he knew what was going on. "I hope she starts feeling better soon,” Dan said, smiling honestly. “I’m glad you were able to come, though. I was getting rather lonely.” Phil smiled, looking down at his cup. Dan could swear he saw some blush at the top of Phil’s cheeks. Dan felt his cheeks reddening at the thought of making Phil blush. ‘Stop Dan, he’s still married.’ Dan had to remind himself of the reality of the present.  
“Why were you lonely? You’re literally surrounded by people you see everyday."  
"I hate Christmas.” Dan confessed. Phil gasped.  
“You hate Christmas?” Dan nodded. “How is that possible? Is it because of religion surrounding it or something?”  
Dan shook his head. “I don’t have anything against religion, plus I do believe in a God, I just don’t like the holiday itself."  
Phil was shaking his head. "I can’t be seen with you anymore. Christmas is my favorite holiday."  
Dan smiled, laughing a little. "Guess this is the end of Dan and Phil."  
Phil laughed as well before pulling a fake sad face. "I guess so,” He held his hand out for a shake. “Nice knowing you."  
Dan took his hand, laughing along with Phil.  
Dan guessed he didn’t hate the holiday as much as he thought he did.  
*  
The next day, Dan came into work with a frantic phone call already waiting on the answering machine. "He called around 8, I changed him to your first appointment, he said it was urgent.” Louise explained. Dan simply nodded and set down his things. He fiddled around with things in his office until Phil and Rose walked in.  
Rose’s hair wasn’t as crisp and as clean as it was yesterday, her clothes were rumpled and dark circles were set in stone under her eyes. Phil looked similar to her, if not worse.  
“Please, have a seat,” Dan said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk where they sat last time. “This seems urgent."  
Both Phil and Rose sat down without hesitation, Dan mirroring them. "What seems to be the problem?”  
“I’m pregnant,” Rose blurted. Dan’s head quickly snapped towards her, before looking towards Phil again, judging his reaction. Phil just looked tired.  
“I see,” Dan turned back to his computer and pulling up their case. “This will defiantly complicate things."  
"I obviously want Phil to have shared custody,” Rose clarified. “I don’t want this divorce to ruin us as friends."  
Phil nodded, closing his eyes slightly. Dan felt terrible for both of them. He can’t imagine how stressful this must have been, especially with the party ending so late. Dan quickly typed up a few notes. He turned back to them, preparing for the discussion about rights. Another topic that Dan knew they would have to discuss would be whether or not they still wanted to divorce. Dan figured that they would still want to separate, but how fast would they want to? Many more emotions were introduced to the equation now – even though they would probably still split – it would be harder. Dan took another look at Phil, admiring how his face looked. His eyes were sunken deep into his face, the shadows were making his face even slimmer than normal. His eyes were tired and rimmed with red. Dan deemed that he looked beautiful in a raw way. Dan’s eyes flickered back to his computer screen, not wanting to get caught checking out the man in front of him.  
*  
Phil hugged Rose when he heard the news.  
If he had just accepted himself – had said something, anything – they wouldn’t be in this situation.  
He wasn’t mad, far from the emotion. He was happy – in a way. This did, obviously, complicate things, but Phil was still happy. He was going to have a kid.  
So Phil had hugged Rose. He had hugged her tight, slipping his arms behind her back and holding her as she cried. Rose had told him multiple times that she didn’t want to be pregnant, ever. It was kind of his fault that she was in this situation, and that technically, she would be a single mom.  
And it was Christmas, his favorite holiday. Christmas wasn’t supposed to be a stressful holiday; it was supposed to be a holiday full of love and joy. And here he was, getting a divorce with a surprise baby on the way. It didn’t help that his divorce lawyer was really cute either. You shouldn’t have feelings for your divorce lawyer.  
*  
Dan went home after another busy day, nothing new. He shrugged out of his blazer the moment he got home, allowing his neck to roll on his shoulders. He let out a content hum as he toed his shoes off. He heated up a frozen pizza, letting it bake as he found a show to watch. He settled on 'Eyewitness,’ his favorite show at the moment. He laid down on his couch as he re-watched the first episode. Soon enough, the oven beeped. Eyewitness was always more enjoyable with pizza on hand.  
Once the episode was done, he showered. He always tried to erase the stress of work. His job was busy, and it was hard, and it took a toll on him, badly. He didn’t want to have his personal life suffer because of his preferred profession in life, so he didn’t let it.  
It was nearing 10 and Dan felt like he hadn’t done enough. He just watched TV and ate a pizza, not his most productive day. Dan decided he might as well go to Tesco. Sure, he should be in bed, and yes, it probably wasn’t the smartest decision he made, but it defiantly wasn’t his worse. His worse would defiantly be when he decided to watch gay porn for the first time, that ended in a rabbit hole – he hasn’t been straight since.  
He pulled on sweatpants and an old hoodie, with a jacket on top. He didn’t look glamorous, but it wasn’t like he was meeting his true love. And if he managed to meet his true love in Tesco, his true love would have to deal.  
He set out, double-checking that he had his keys – he had left without his keys too many times to be humorous. Dan highly doubted that Mr. Henrys in 34B would buzz him in again.  
The London streets were cold and drizzly, something Dan always liked. He enjoyed the rain, it soothed him. He liked London, it was the perfect city for him. It was crowded, but just enough. New York City was too crowded for him, and while he appreciated Washington, D.C for what it was, it was too superficial. But London? London fit. The streets were lined with older buildings, new ones rising on the street next to him. The shoppes were there and that was helpful. Overall, Dan didn’t think he couldn’t live in London. Dan felt properly alive in London.  
After walking a multitude of blocks, Dan arrived at the Tesco. He grabbed a trolley, walking up and down the aisles. There was something creepy and almost comforting about grocery stores after 8 p.m. Maybe it was the hushed tones and tired staff, but Dan liked it more than the day version of the store.  
But as Dan was walking along, he caught a familiar head of hair. Dan paused, not sure if he should go over to Phil or not. Do people ever become friends with their divorce lawyers? Dan shrugged to himself – it didn’t seem common. Dan decided that he would stroll by Phil, make sure Phil saw him, and then allow Phil to approach him. He even made himself promise that he wouldn’t get offended if Phil didn’t talk to him (although that was a lie).  
Dan tried to walk as inconspicuously as possible towards the fruit stand where Phil was. His cart made little squeaking noises – Dan inwardly cringed with every tiny squeak. Thankfully, Phil didn’t seem to notice Dan behind him. Dan started to inspect the bananas with faked interest, his eyes flickering to Phil every few seconds. He wasn’t noticing Dan. It was time for the desperate Plan B.  
He went to push his cart away, "accidentally” bumping into Phil’s. Phil’s head snapped up, making eye contact with Dan almost immediately. Dan at least had the decency to try to look sheepish. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” Dan said, the fake tone in his voice a little too obvious. Thankfully, Phil laughed, moving to pull his cart away from Dan’s offending one.  
“Little surprised to see you here,” Phil said. “Seeing as it is nearly 11 o'clock at night."  
"Gotta do the groceries sometime, my job demands a lot of my life,” Dan said, placing the bananas in his trolley, because apparently he was getting bananas now. “What’s your excuse then?"  
"Rose needed some foods and stuff because of her 'cravings,’” Phil elaborated. “Although, the doctor said her cravings shouldn’t be starting for another month or so. I personally believe it’s scam for me to go out and buy her food.” Dan laughed, nodding.  
“How are things going with her? Is she having a lot of morning sickness?” Dan asked, finding himself actually caring about her and not just making small talk. Whenever he bumped into clients, which happened a lot, he was always forced to make small talk. But Rose and Phil were different. He didn’t quite know why.  
“She’s doing alright,” Phil concluded. “We both are. It’s difficult because she still loves me and I feel guilty because of it. Emotions are running high, I guess."  
Dan gave him a sympathetic look, not sure if he should give Phil a pat on the shoulder or something. 'I feel like I need to give him a buddy pat or something.’ Dan thought. "I hope she starts to feel better soon,” Dan says, smiling a little bit. “I know this will probably sound unusual, but if you need anything, call me. You have my number, right?” Phil nodded, smiling and thanking him.  
“Can I ask you a question?” Phil asked, Dan nodding. “Do you think I’m a bad person for marrying Rose five years ago."  
Dan hadn’t expected something like that. Was Phil a bad person? No, Dan didn’t think so.  
"I don’t think you’re a bad person, and honestly, I don’t think Rose does either,” Dan started. “You were probably confused about your sexuality – did you even know?” Phil shook his head.  
“Then no, I don’t think you’re a bad person. I know you feel bad for doing it, Rose knows, but it was a thing that happened. At least you didn’t stay married to her.” Phil gave a weak smile.  
“I just feel so guilty, like shouldn’t I have known?” Dan shook his head, trying to think of the best way to help Phil.  
“I didn’t know I was gay until I was twenty-two. It took me another year to come out. You don’t always know right away,” Dan shrugged. “Some people know their sexuality at four, some people know it at forty-four. It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault.” Phil looked at him, Dan could see that his eyes were a bit more watery than usual.  
“You’re not a bad person, Phil."  
*  
They ended up doing the rest of their shopping together after that, something Dan had enjoyed. He kind of wished that they could do it again. He knew, of course, that it was highly unlikely they would go shopping together again, but it was one of those days were everything seemed perfect. Dan had genuinely enjoyed himself – something he couldn’t always truthfully say.  
When Dan returned to his apartment it was 11 o'clock. Yes, he should be asleep – or at least in bed – by now, but he wasn’t. He was wide awake, putting away his groceries and Phil was texting him. Phil was texting him like crazy. Dan could say he was sleepy and needed to get up early tomorrow for work, but it was Phil. He wasn’t going to do that.  
So instead, Dan finished putting away his groceries and started to get ready for bed. His phone was pinging the entire time. It was nice.  
Normally, Dan was alone almost all the time. It was something that he was used to, and he often forgot how lonely he was. Sure, he had his cat, but that was hardly human companionship. So Dan let his phone ping. It felt nice to feel wanted. It felt really nice.  
*  
Dan was late for work the next day. Louise (thankfully) let it slide because he was hardly ever late. Sometimes it was beneficial to be friends with the boss. He also knew that half the reason Louise let it slide was because she still felt slightly guilty about forcing him to the holiday work party. She didn’t know he had a good time with Phil.  
Dan got his coffee from the break-room and then retreated back into the office where he continued to file paper after paper and file document after document. Honestly, it was a mess. He almost missed the light knock on his door. He muttered a quick 'come in,’ not even looking up from the paper he was reading over. Louise walked in, her face softening at how dedicated he was.  
"Dan?” He didn’t look up. “There’s someone here to take you out to lunch?” Dan’s head shot up, confusion clear on his face.  
“I don’t have a lunch date with anyone?” Louise shrugged. “What do they look like?”  
“Black hair, glasses, I think he’s wearing a pug sweater? He said that he was here for you.”  
Dan stood up for his desk, grabbing his phone and realizing how much later it was in the day than he thought. "Show me.” Dan said, gesturing for Louise to lead the way. She complied.  
*  
“Surprise!” Phil said when Dan saw him. Dan did smile the smallest bit, Phil was a pleasant surprise. Louise took note that Dan knew Phil, turning around to go back to the offices.  
“Hi, Phil,” Dan said, walking up to him. “I didn’t realize we had a lunch date?"  
"We don’t,” Phil said, blushing. “I just know how much you work so I figured you’d deserve a break. I was talking to Louise the other night and she was talking about how much you overwork yourself.”  
“So Louise knew about this?” Dan mused. Phil nodded. “Of course she knew, she’s Louise.” Phil laughed, his head tipping back slightly as he did. Dan felt his heart ache.  
“Where are we going on our not-lunch-date?” Dan asked.  
“Have you ever been to the cat cafe?” Dan shook his head. “Good, then it’ll be funner for you.”  
“Phil, 'funner’ is not a word.” Dan countered.  
“Mhm, sure,” Phil replied. “Tell that to the dictionary."  
”'Funner’ is not in the dictionary.“  
"Betcha ten dollars it is."  
"Deal,” Phil pulled out his phone and quickly searched something. “Phil! Be careful, we’re walking through the middle of London.”  
“Psh,” Phil said, scrolling. “Who cares?”  
“I’ll care when you get run over.” Dan said sarcastically.  
“Aw,” Phil said, looking up from his phone. “You care about me."  
"Of course I care about you, you dick."  
"Wow, so much love.”  
Dan laughed, shoving Phil slightly as he joined in laughing.  
*  
“Ha!” Phil exclaimed, shoving his phone in Dan’s face. “Told you 'funner’ was a word. Pay up."  
Dan rolled his eyes at Phil’s phone screen, reaching for his wallet in his back pocket. "Fine.” He handed Phil the ten dollars, Phil smiling smugly as he watched the entire exchange. Dan rolled his eyes yet again.  
Soon enough, Phil spotted the cafe on the busy London block. He grabbed Dan’s hand, tugging him along as he started walking faster towards the building. Dan laughed a little, allowing himself to be pulled by Phil.  
They arrived at the cafe approximately thirty seconds earlier than they would have if they had walked at an normal pace. Phil didn’t care and considered looking like madmen running through the streets completely worth getting there quicker. Dan didn’t quite agree with him, but that was okay. Phil’s smile made looking like a crazy madman all worth it.  
Dan held the door open for Phil, he blushed when he noticed what Dan did. Dan would be lying if he said that didn’t make him the tiniest bit happy.  
Phil gasped at all the cats surrounding them. “They’re already melting my heart! Look at how sweet they are!"  
Dan’s heart melted even more at Phil.  
*  
When Dan and Phil returned to Dan’s office building his lunch break was over – 30 minutes ago. Louise shot him a look as he sauntered guiltily into his office. At least he wasn’t in a serious amount of trouble. If he was, Louise would have been waiting in his office for him to come back, probably planning his funeral as she waited.  
He heard a knock at his door, maybe he actually was in some shit. "Come in!” He called, plugging his phone in at his desk. It was at five percent.  
Louise opened the door, an eyebrow raised. Okay, maybe Dan shouldn’t have come back so late, but he never went anywhere for lunch.  
“Okay, I’m sorry for coming back so late,” Dan said. “But I’m getting straight back to work.” He held up his papers in his hands. Louise didn’t say anything, she just sat down in the chair his clients used.  
“How was the date?” Dan looked up at Louise, scoffing.  
“Please,” He said, his voice dry. “It wasn’t a date.”  
“Oh please, Howell,” Dan raised his eyebrow at his last name but continued shuffling papers around on his desk, trying to get his workplace somewhat cleaner. “It was a date.”  
“It wasn’t a date. I can promise you, it wasn’t."  
"Did he not take you out? Pay for you? Make you smile? It was a date.”  
Dan chewed his lip. It was a date, wasn’t it? Why had Dan realized? Would he have still gone if he had known? "Oh. It was totally a date.“  
Louise nodded, smiling softly at Dan. He looked up at her, his expression worried. "But I’m his divorce lawyer, is that appropriate? What would Rose think?"  
Louise shrugged, opening her arms for a hug. "How about I come over to your place tonight and we can talk?” Dan nodded and hugged her back. There were benefits to being best friends with your boss.  
*  
Dan had gotten home from work 15 minutes ago and Louise was expected to arrive in another 30 minutes. Honestly, Dan kind of regretted inviting her over, but he wasn’t going to cancel on her. He did love her, as nosy as she could be. Dan knew she meant well though, that’s what mattered; not his mental state.  
Dan quickly changed into some sweats and found some wine and glasses. He fluffed the couch pillows and turned on the gas fireplace. He turned on some of his favorite “soothing” songs. He might as well, it was Friday night. Why not go all out? By the time Dan was done cleaning up the flat, Louise was knocking on the door. He promptly let her in and she handed him a bag of snack food. He thanked her and they quickly settled in their normal spots on the couch. Louise was elegantly draped across his love-seat (how did she manage to look so pristine in snow-white pajama pants and an old hoodie with her hair in a messy knot on top of her head?) and Dan sitting criss-cross in his recliner, both with a glass of wine in hand.  
“You’ve accepted that it was a date, right?” Louise started, scrolling on her phone.  
“Yes,” Dan said, taking a sip of wine, preparing himself for Louise. He loved her, he really did.  
“Well, what do you think you’re going do?” She clicked off her phone and turned towards him.  
“Ask him out properly, maybe?” Dan suggested.  
“Really?” Louise said. “You, actually ask someone you have feelings for, out? Who are you?”  
“Come on,” Dan rolled his eyes. “Maybe I’ve never acted on my feelings–”  
“You got that right.”  
“– but I’ve learned from my mistakes and I don’t want to regret Phil, too."  
"I’m happy for you, Dan,” Louise said, honesty present in her voice. “It took you four fucking years to finally realize that you have to make the first move sometimes, but I am happy for you.”  
“So glad I have such a great friend like you, Louise.” Dan said, dryly.  
“Anytime, bitch.” Louise replied. Dan rolled his eyes.  
*  
Their conversation shifted to other topics before centering back on Dan’s love life again.  
“Are you going to wait until after you finalize his divorce to ask him out or what?"  
"Aw, fuck,” Dan said, face-palming himself. “I totally forgot about that."  
"Don’t forget about the kid,” Louise piped.  
“Fuck,” Dan said again. “Why?” He draped his arm over his eyes, slouching down on the couch as he guided his glass to his lips.  
“Yeah, you need wine, buddy."  
"Thanks, Louise.”  
“But,” Dan started, sipping on more wine. “What are we supposed to do? He’s going to have a kid soon, and I’m his divorce lawyer!”  
“Wait until the kid is born to ask him out,” Louise suggested. “That way you can figure out how willing you are to make this work. Plus, you’ll get to know him better.”  
Dan nodded, for once taking her advice to heart.  
*  
“Hey, Phil,” Dan said, running to catch up with him. “What are you doing on Friday night?"  
"Um, nothing?” Phil said, stopping in his tracks to face Dan.  
“Do you want to come over for a movie night at my place? I can order pizza.”  
“Sure,” Phil happily replied.  
“I’ll text you what time to come over?” Dan asked. Phil nodded.  
*  
Phil ended up coming over around seven, Dan had ordered a pizza and set up Star Wars (he and Phil had agreed on that for the movie). The doorbell rung and Dan quickly got up to answer it, running his hands through his hair as he walked to the door. He opened it and there he was – Phil – in all his glory. Dan smiled involuntarily, his eyes taking control and running up and down Phil’s body. “Hi,” Phil said, a sly smile on his lips as he realized what Dan was doing.  
“Hi yourself,” Dan replied, licking his lips. “Would you like to come in?” He opened the door wider and gestured for Phil to walk in. Phil pushed past him into the room – chest softly colliding with Dan’s. 'Restrain yourself, Dan. You need to spend at least another 3 hours in the same space as this man.’  
Dan followed Phil into the kitchen, Phil placing his bag down on the counter. “I brought drinks and some snacks for later,” Phil supplied when he saw Dan looking curiously at him. Dan nodded and moved to grab plates for the pizza set up in the living room and glasses for the soda. Once he had done that, both him and Phil migrated to the couch where they turned on 'A New Hope,’ one of Dan’s personal favorite movies.  
By eleven that same night, their eyes were burning. They were about thirty minutes away from the end of 'Return Of The Jedi,’ the thrilling conclusion to the original Star Wars trilogy. Yes, originally, Dan had only planned to watch the first movie. But then Phil had insisted they watch the next and now they were practically falling asleep on each other. But it was okay, they were bonding. Dan had found out that Phil was a self-proclaimed 'movie critic’ and owned more movies than he could count. Dan said he wouldn’t believe it until he saw it. Phil said he would just have to get Dan into his bedroom, then. Dan had blushed.  
But back to the present. The boys were barely awake and the movie was minutes away from the end. Dan’s head was leaning against Phil’s shoulder, his body relaxed against Phil’s chest. The pizza box was still open on the coffee table where both of their legs were propped up. Glasses half filled with various drinks (they had each wanted to try a bit of everything) littered the table as well, each glass only one swift move away from being knocked over. Phil’s eyes were fluttering shut as the credits rolled. Dan sat up, only now taking notice of how dark the room was. He stretched his arms and popped his back before standing up. Once he was standing, he properly took notice of the condition that Phil was in. His glasses were halfway down his nose, his hair ruffled and messy. Dan’s heart melted slightly at the sight, a small smile gracing his lips.  
Dan needed to figure out what to do with Phil. It was clear that he would not be able to take the tube home in his state. He started to clean up the pizza and glasses as he thought of what to do. He could always just leave him on the couch. But Dan knew how uncomfortable that couch was – he too had fallen asleep on it one too many times. Phil would probably insist he was over-staying his welcome (Dan’s not sure if Phil could ever do that) and try to leave. Maybe he should just let Phil stay asleep there, then he wouldn’t have to try and convince Phil to stay over. Dan brought the cups to the kitchen and tried to place them in the sink as noiselessly as he could. This proved to be a challenge and almost impossible for Dan to do, clear by the way most of the cups fell into the sink loudly.  
He could hear Phil shifting on the couch in the other room. Dan wasn’t sure if Phil was going to wake up or just readjust until he got comfortable again. Dan tried to stay as quiet as possible, waiting with baited breath to see if Phil woke up or not. Dan would be a little too happy if he just stayed asleep and ended up “accidentally” staying the night on Dan’s couch. He felt a if it were some weird milestone in their friendship. Friendship? Were they friends? Of course they were friends, but were they more than that? Would they ever be more than that? Dan sure hoped so.  
Half a minute passed and there was no Phil in sight. Dan let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He went back to cleaning up.  
Once Dan was done, he took one last look at the clock and then another at Phil. It was midnight and Phil was slouched over on his couch. Dan smiled fondly to himself as he walked over to move Phil into a more comfortable position. Once Dan was done yanking and pulling around Phil’s lanky limbs, Phil was in a more normal position on his couch. His back was flat on the couch and his long legs were curled up at one end of the couch. His head now rested on top of a pillow and a extra, more warm, blanket was now covering Phil. Dan was proud of his work, finally content with the thought of leaving Phil there to rest and returning to his own bed for the night – which was exactly what Dan did.  
*  
The next morning, Phil’s eyeballs were burning before he was even awake. Like burning, burning. They felt like they were on fire. Phil rubbed his eyes before opening them, trying to get the pain to subside in some way. It didn’t work. He opened his eyes slowly, only now realizing that he wasn’t in his bed.  
Was he on a couch?  
Phil quickly sat up, completely forgetting about the pain in his eyes. He looked around, immediately recognizing his surroundings as Dan’s apartment. So, this must be Dan’s couch that he fell asleep on. He scoured his brain, trying to figure out why he had sleep over. He couldn’t remember anything, in fact, the last thing he could remember was the epic fight scene in Return Of The Jedi between Vader and Luke. He must’ve fallen asleep. But why didn’t Dan wake him up? He felt kind of bad for imposing on Dan. He heard footsteps coming down the hall and seconds later, Dan was standing in the lounge’s entrance, smiling. Even though it was still kind of early in morning, Dan still looked as breath-taking as possible. Phil never had had the chance to properly fall for a guy. Sure, there were all the crushes in school and uni, but never requited. Hell, he’s only slept with a guy once in his life and he doesn’t even remember his name (something he feels slightly bad about).  
But Phil could fall for Dan. He’s making it all too easy. His divorce with Rose would be finalized within a few weeks and he would be moving out into his own flat. Phil was starting a new chapter.  
Would Dan even want to date him? He was a gay man with a almost ex-wife and a baby on the way who was 2 years older than him, what was attractive about that? Nothing, as far as Phil’s concerned. He sighed, forgetting that Dan was standing close to him.  
“You okay?” Dan asked, a touch of humor clear in his voice.  
“Hm?” Phil looked up. “Oh, yeah. Just got pulled into a depressive thought process about my life."  
"Yikes,” Dan said, moving to sit next to Phil on the couch. “That happens to me too often.” He chuckled a tiny bit and Phil joined it. It was kind of funny.  
“Sorry I fell asleep, I swear I didn’t mean to,” Phil said, rubbing at his still-stinging eyes.  
“Don’t worry about it,” Dan said with a wave of his hand. “If I were you, I would 'accidentally’ fall asleep on my couch too. I know how desperate people can get."  
"Shut up,” Phil said, giggling. He shoved Dan slightly when he started laughing too. “If I were to actually plan to fall asleep on your couch, I would’ve packed my contact case and my glasses.” Almost immediately Dan’s face changed to one of worry.  
“Do you need to take your contacts out? I think my old roommate might’ve left some solution and a contact case,” Dan hurried to say.  
Phil laughed a little bit, endeared by how worried Dan seemed to be over something trivial. “If you could find them that would be great, if not, I’ll be okay.” Dan nodded and quickly got up, rushing to the bathroom. Phil took the opportunity to find his phone. After finding it in the cushions of the sofa, he clicked on the home button to see four missed calls from Rose. Phil felt bad about missing her calls. He swiped to the left on his phone, calling her back.  
“Phil? Oh thank God, I thought something had happened to you,” Rose said after picking up after the first ring.  
“No, I’m so sorry for worrying you–” Dan came back into the room holding the solution and case. “–I accidentally slept over at Dan’s, he failed to wake me up because he’s so obsessed with me.” Rose chuckled and Dan slapped him lightly on the arm.  
“When do you think you’ll be home?”  
Phil glanced at Dan, taking notice of how relaxed they both seemed to be. "Maybe an hour? I’m not positive, I can text you when I’m on my way home?“  
Rose agreed and said that she was probably going to be going out for brunch with her mom soon.  
"Sorry,” Phil said, locking eyes with Dan. “Wanted to let her know what was going on.” Dan nodded, handing him the stuff needed to help him with his contacts. Phil quickly said thank you and rushed to the bathroom to remove the itchy intruders from his eyes. When he returned, Dan was in a new set of clothes.  
“I was thinking of possibly going out for some breakfast?"  
"I would love to, but I’m still in my clothes from last night.”  
“Oh, yeah,” Dan said, a smile on his lips. “Almost forgot about that. You can borrow some of mine, I’m sure we’re about the same size."  
"But then I would have to go around smelling like you.” Phil tried to protest. He wasn’t sure if he could take wearing Dan’s clothes, and out in public, at that. His level of pining couldn’t take that.  
“Oh, is that such a bad thing?” Dan asked, raising an eyebrow. Phil simply shook his head and Dan laughed, leaving to grab some clothes for Phil. He returned with a black shirt and black jeans. Phil raised an eyebrow at Dan before shaking his head. “You can’t expect me to wear all black."  
"I do and you will,” Dan smirked. “I don’t own any colorful shirts that aren’t from 2012, and all of those are in storage where I put the things I try to forget."  
Phil rolled his eyes and took the clothes, stalking towards the bathroom to change.  
*  
"McDonald’s?” Phil asked with suspicion.  
“It’s a classy place to eat.”  
Phil snorted. “Dan, no, it’s not."  
"Is that a challenge? I’ll show you how classy McDonald’s can be.”  
“It’s not a challenge, idiot, it’s a fact."  
"Come on, then,” Dan grabbed Phil’s hand, pulling him into the busy London McDonald’s. Phil laughed as Dan pulled him along.  
The place was busy, something they were both used to after living in the city. They got in line, Dan not letting go of Phil’s hand. Phil didn’t find it in him to care about that.  
“I’ll order the best thing ever, and you’ll love it.” Dan proclaimed when they were next in line.  
“I’ll hate it just for you, sweetheart.” Phil replied, not knowing where the sudden sass and 'sweetheart’ came from, but deciding he didn’t care. Dan laughed loudly, lightly pulling Phil up with him to order.  
They ended up splitting the order, Phil refusing to let Dan pay for him as well. The cashier laughed as Phil forced her to divide the order into two separate receipts so Phil could pay for half. Dan simply stood there pouting as Phil slid his card. He decided to take it a step further and patted Dan on the cheek while he was still pouting. Dan had laughed and pulled Phil by the waist to where they needed to wait for the order. Phil had nearly died.  
*  
Phil did have to admit, McDonald’s after a five year absence wasn’t as terrible as he thought it would be. It was kind of nostalgic for him, even. He was reminded of lazy summer days with his older brother and mom, or after football practices (he didn’t play football for very long) with his dad.  
It was nearing noon when Phil finally returned to his flat. Rose was there as well, hanging lights by the fireplace. “Woah, woah, careful!” Phil had said the minute he entered. She was standing on a step-ladder so she could reach the ceiling above the mantel. She was short, simply put.  
“Phil, please,” Rose said, stepping down the ladder even as she protested. “We both know I am more than capable of putting these lights up. Besides, it’s Christmas in a week! We have to have lights.” Phil crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame in their living room.  
“You’re pregnant! Lights are important, but not important enough to risk your life.” Rose rolled her eyes and took the last step off the ladder and walked over to Phil. Her bump was hardly visible, but Phil was treating her like royalty. He didn’t want anything bad happening to his best friend and baby. She hugged him, her head barely reaching his collarbones, as they were almost a foot apart. “How was your time with Dan?” She asked, stepping out of the hug and walking back to the ladder, Phil trailing after her.  
“It was good,” Phil clarified, holding the ladder as Rose stepped back up. “We watched movies and then went out for breakfast. How was brunch with your mom?” He lifted up the lights to Rose, holding her waist when she stumbled a bit. She was stubborn – that, he could understand – but he wasn’t going to let her be stubborn alone.  
“Nice enough. She was excited about the baby,” Phil smiled. “But she wasn’t too happy about the divorce."  
Phil grimaced. "Did you at least tell her why we are getting divorced?"  
"I did, she wasn’t too pleased,” Rose stretched out on her tip-toes, sticking the lights to the command hooks that were left up from last year. “She wasn’t too happy about that either, you know how she is."  
"Yeah,” Phil said, remembering just how conservative and narrow-minded Mrs. Caldenwalw could be. "I can imagine she would be.” Phil handed her another string of lights when there was a knock at the door. “Let me get that.” Phil said, walking over to the door on the other side of the room. He was surprised to see Dan when he opened it.  
“Dan?”  
Dan gave a small wave, handing a bag to Phil. “Hey, Phil. Hey, Rose. You left your clothes at my house, figured I should drop them off while I was out."  
"Hi, Dan!” Rose shouted from across the room as she attempted to hang more lights.  
“Thanks!” Phil responded, moving to place the bag on the table.  
“Would you like to come – woah!” Rose said, falling off the ladder and crashing onto the floor.  
“Rose, oh my God!” Phil said, rushing over to where she lay on the floor. Dan came in too, joining Phil by Rose’s side. “Where does it hurt?” Phil asked, noticing her expression of pain.  
“My ankle – I think I sprained my ankle or something,” Rose hurried to say.  
“Dan, can you get an ice pack? They’re in the freezer.” Phil asked as he moved Rose. He fixed her position so that she was sitting up with her injured leg stretched out. Dan nodded and headed in the direction of the kitchen. “We’ll have to take you to A&E,” Phil said, already knowing how much Rose was going to protest.  
“Phil, no! I’m fine,” Rose claimed. Phil only raised a eyebrow. “I don’t need to go."  
"Rose, you need to have this checked out,” Phil tried to reason gently. “It’s the best thing to do. We don’t want to assume that everything is fine and then have it heal wrong, that can cause lasting damage to your foot, don’t you agree Dan?” Dan had walked back in with a pack of green beans and a dish rag. He handed it to Phil, who placed it on a pouting Rose.  
“Agree with what?” Dan asked, looking between the two of them.  
“Phil is trying to force me to A&E against my will.” Rose explained.  
“Oh,” Dan said. “I totally agree with Phil, you need to get that checked out.”  
Rose sighed, laying back on the floor. “Fine,” She huffed.  
*  
They ended up carrying her into a taxi and then cramming all three of themselves into the back seat. Yes, it probably would have made a lot more sense to have Dan sit in the passenger seat but they weren’t really thinking. Rose was sitting in the middle seat, turned so that she was leaning against Phil. Her injured leg was propped up in Dan’s lap – something he didn’t mind considering the circumstances –and he was holding the pack of half-frozen green beans against her ankle.  
“So, are you three one of those three-some couples or something like that?” Asked the taxi driver.  
“No!” shouted Phil.  
“Eh,” said Rose.  
“I mean, we’re all friends but-” said Dan.  
“He’s my almost ex-husband and the father of my unborn baby,” Rose explained, gesturing to Phil. “and he’s our divorce lawyer and I think my soon-to-be-ex-husband has more than friendly feelings for him, if you catch my drift."  
"Wait, what?” Dan exclaimed, looking at Phil.  
“Rose!” Phil said, still shouting. “Where did you get that idea?” he taxi driver started to laugh at all of the commotion erupting in the back of his cab.  
“Wait – Phil – is it true?” Dan asked, turning in his seat to be able to properly look at him.  
“That’s not important right –"  
"Yes, it is, Phil Lester!” Rose said, cutting him off. “I may be the injured one but you two have got to be blind if you don’t see this shit in front of you."  
"If it makes you feel better, I’m interested in you,” Dan says softly. Phil locked eyes with him and smiles softly at him, Dan returned the smile.  
“See, I know you, Phil, and I know that you like Dan."  
"Not to interrupt the little love-fest you have going on back there, but we’re at the A&E,” The taxi driver announced, grinning at the scene in the back of his cab.  
“We’re talking about this later,” Phil said to Dan before they helped Rose out of the car.  
*  
Rose was currently getting X-Rays. They had to make sure she could still get one even though she was pregnant. Phil and Dan obviously weren’t allowed to be with her as she got her X-Rays done, so they were left out in the waiting room to well, wait.  
“For the record,” Phil started. “Rose was right. I do like you, like romantically. I just don’t want to fuck this up because we’ve only known each other for a few weeks and you’re the first guy I’ve known I’ve liked. All the other ones weren’t obvious to me but you are and I don’t want to mess it up because then I’ll be losing a friend too. And you’re so sweet and kind and I –”  
“Phil, breathe,” Dan said, placing his hand over Phil’s. “I like you, too. Let’s just wait until you’re officially divorced until we get together, okay?"  
Phil chuckled a little, agreeing. Just then, a nurse came out.  
"Phil Lester?” He asked, scanning the waiting room. Dan and Phil stood up and made their way over to the nurse. “Your wife has broken her ankle. She’ll need to wear a cast for a few weeks and then a bandage for a few more. She’ll be using crutches the entire time she is wearing the cast, which she is getting on right now. Right this way, please.” Dan and Phil trailed after him as he lead the way to Rose.  
When they found her she was getting a bright pink cast wrapped around her ankle and lower leg. “Phil! Dan!” She happily said, clearly feeling much better than she was a few hours ago. “Do you like the color?”  
“I love it,” Dan said honestly. “It really suits you.” She laughed and thanked him.  
Once she was done getting her cast on and her crutches, fitted to her height, they went home. Rose, of course, asked if they had talked about their relationship at all. She was glad to hear that they had. When they finally got home, it was six in the evening. Rose decided she wanted a pizza and insisted that Dan stay to help them eat it. Dan couldn’t say no to Rose (she claimed she would cry if he left due to her pregnancy hormones) and ended up staying until eight in the evening.  
Phil was happy with the way his life was shaping out to be. He didn’t regret his past decisions anymore.  
*  
Christmas came and passed. The divorce was finalized and Phil had officially moved out. He ha moved into a tiny flat about 10 minutes away from Rose’s flat. Even though they were technically exes, they still got on well, which was for the best. Dan and Phil had started dating. Dan claimed that they were dating for 'realsies’ now and Phil was just glad that they were finally together.  
*  
Another few months came and passed, it was July now. Around a month ago, Dan had asked Phil to move in with him, which was one of the most important steps in their relationship. Dan had decided to take Phil out to a fancy restaurant, trying to be romantic and loving towards Phil. Phil had, of course, loved every second of it. He was secretly a sap, something he would never admit to out loud. But Dan knew, and even though Dan would never admit to knowing exactly what he was doing, he knew exactly what he was doing. He was buttering Phil up so that when he asked, Phil wouldn’t be able to resist.  
After dinner they had decided to take a walk around London. It was a gorgeous city, even in the summer months. They ended up enjoying themselves so thoroughly on the walk they had walked back to Dan’s flat. Dan had led Phil inside, knowing where this was leading.  
He hooked his thumbs through Phil’s belt loops, pulling him into the elevator and into a hungry kiss. Phil walked him back against the wall, kissing him, as the doors chimed shut. Dan could feel them moving through the air and up the elevator shaft, just like he felt Phil’s tongue find it’s way into his mouth. The doors opened again and this time Phil lead Dan to his apartment door, Dan trying to find the keys to his flat as quickly as possible.  
Once Dan opened the door, Phil was pushing him inside. His back was pressed against his front door faster than he thought possible. Phil’s mouth was attacking his neck and Dan was trying his hardest to be quiet as there was a possibility that literal people could be walking by, people that could possibly hear him.  
Phil pulled back and was about to kiss him again when Dan stopped him. Their breath was mingling with each others’, they were both panting. “Move in with me?” Dan had asked. All Phil had done was nod before their lips were back together.  
It was easy to say that it was one of their best nights together.  
*  
It was around two in the morning when Phil had gotten the phone call. He was incredibly tired after the night he and Dan had shared. It was official, they were going to move in together! Phil was so excited, and he had made sure to show Dan just how excited he was. He was in Dan’s bed, both of them still naked. He groggily picked up the phone, answering it without even checking who it was.  
“Phil, Phil,” Phil immediately woke up when he realized that it was Rose calling – that it was Rose panicking. “Phil, the baby’s coming. Get to the hospital, bring Dan if you want to, the baby’s coming. I’m in a cab right now."  
"Okay, yeah, we’ll be there,” He said, too shocked to properly process what was happening. He turned over in the bed, shaking Dan awake.  
“Dan, babe, the baby is coming,” Phil said, trying to sound urgent when he really just wanted to go back to sleep. Dan, thankfully, had shot up in bed.  
“Phil, this is great! Come on, we have to get to the hospital!"  
They quickly put on sweats (Phil had left more than enough of his clothing around Dan’s flat) and gotten an Uber, racing out the door in a record of 10 minutes.  
By the time they had gotten to the hospital, Rose was about to push. It was a rough delivery, one with a lot of screams and hand-holding. Rose had wanted both Phil and Dan in the room with her. She had Dan’s hand in one hand and Phil’s in the other. She claimed she was luckier than anyone else in the hospital because she had double the support there.  
At 4:06 in the morning on July 28th, Eliza Margaret Caldenwalw-Lester was born.  
"That poor child is going to have a mouthful of a name,” Dan had commented, staring down at her in her mother’s arms.  
“Well, Dan Howell, don’t make it any worse by making it 'Eliza Margaret Caldenwalw-Lester-Howell,’” Rose had said, laughing when both of them blushed and avoided each other’s eyes.  
But they did make it worse for poor Eliza. A year and a half later, they ended up getting married. It was December 18th, the day that Phil Lester had shown up at a holiday Christmas party; the day that Dan had properly talked to him.  
And Dan decided that he didn’t really hate the holiday season that much, he got to spend it with the people he loved most. His best friend, Rose, his step-daughter, Eliza, and his wonderful, beautiful husband, Phil.  
-fin.


End file.
